The Force Unleashed

So says Darth Vader to his young, secret apprentice in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, the latest video game entry from LucasArts and Krome in the legendary series. And, frankly, that line sums up the game pretty well.

Force Unleashed is the best Star Wars game I’ve played since Knights of the Old Republic and its sequel. But still, it comes up a little short in enough areas to keep it from becoming much more than a Padawan.

The aspect I was most excited about going into the game was, well, the Force. The combat system offers a lot of options and provides a number of “Wow!” moments. From hurling a ball of electricity at a Jedi to simply Force choking a Wookiee (no double entendre intended), young Starkiller, as he’s codenamed, has a lot of powers to choose from. But, alas, one of the most entertaining ways to kill your enemies — by throwing any number of random objects at them — often turns into one of the most frustrating.

I lost count of how many times I meant to pick up a storm trooper and throw him at one of his comrades when, instead, I ended up tossing a piece of rubble at nothing in particular.

Nonetheless, the game’s use of the Wiimote is perhaps the best thing going for it. Want to Force push your way through a horde of droids? Just thrust that Nunchuk straight forward. Feel like swinging your light saber (which becomes more customizable as you progress through the game) with reckless abandon? Just whip that Wii Remote around. Sweet.

I have one exclusive screenshot of Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. The rest are more or less the things you’ve seen before. So enjoy this brand new and never-before-seen (except by me and whoever took it) frame of the highly anticipated game. It should hold you over until my extensive preview tomorrow.